Pouch for rural letter-carriers.



PATENTED JUNE 6, 1905 J'. P. WOODLAND. POUCH FOR RURAL LETTER CARRIERS.

.APPLIGATION FILED MAY 23 1904.

Patented June 6, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

-" JOSEPH P. WOODLAND, OF AUDUBON, IOWA.

POUCH F OR RURAL LETTER-CARRIERS.

SPEGIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 791,598, dated June 6, 1905.

Application filed May 23, 1904. Serial No. 209,190.

Rural Letter-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide 7 improved means for assorting, containing, and

carrying letters and other mail matter for distribution by rural mail-carriers.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating a pouch constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the device centrally of one row of the pockets. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective illustrating-a label-clip employed in constructing my improved pouch. Fig; 4 is a vertical section illustrating the manner of constructing and mounting the label-clips and labels therein. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of mounting the pouch in the vehicle for use in carrying and distributing mail on a rural route.

In the construction of .the device as shown the numeral designates a base-strip, preferably made of fabric, such as canvas, and of rectangular shape. The margins of the basestrip 10 may be hemmed or otherwise finished to avoid raveling. The lowermost marginal portion of the base-strip 10 is folded approximately parallel with the face of the strip and stitched at its ends and through its center to form two pocket-flaps 11 12. A pocket-strip is mounted transversely of the base-strip 10 above the flaps 11 12 and is stitched to said base-strip along its lower margin at its ends and through its central portion to form pocketflaps 13 14. A similar pocket-strip is .provided and mounted on the base-strip to form pocket-flaps 15 16. Asimilar pocket-strip is .provided and mounted on the base-strip 10 to form pocket-flaps 17 18. A similar pocketstrip is provided and mounted on the basestrip 10 to form pocket-flaps 19 20. It will be observed that all the pocket-flaps formed with or mounted on the base-strip 10 are arranged one above the other and do not overlap and that the open margins thereof are in close proximity to the stitched margins of the next succeeding flaps. Label-clips 21 of identical construction are provided. The labelclips 21 preferably are made of sheet metal and are formed with apertures 22. an end flange 23, and side flanges 24 25. The labelclips 21 are mounted on the forward or upper .face of the free margins of the pocket-flaps 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and and are secured thereto by rivets 26 extending through the apertures 22 therein and also extending through the base-strip 10 and a back-strip 27 of sole-leather or metal mounted on the rear face of the free-margins of said flaps. Labels 28 are mounted in the label-clips 21 and confined by the side flanges 24 and the end flange 23.

The weight of a label-clip, back-strip, and label is such that when mounted on a pocketflap it tends to depress the free margin of said flap and cause the same to hang outward relative to the face of the base-strip 10. This tendency of the free margin of the pocket-flap to hang outward and away from the base-strip 10 is utilized for holding the ing and distributing the mail and depositing same in the pockets of the pouch. The labels 28 are arranged in the label-clips throughout.

the various pockets in the sequence in which the names indicated thereon occur throughout the length of the route covered by the 33 34 are stitched or otherwise fixed to the upper corner of the base-strip 10, and rings 35 36 are mounted in saidloops anddetachably suspended on the end hooks 31 32 of the hangers or yokes 29.- The hanger or yoke 29 serves as a supporting means for the pouch pocket open during the operation of assortand also as a spreader to maintain the desired distance of separation of the side margins of the pouch.

The several pouches are arranged on the sides of the vehicle, preferably as illustrated in Fig. 5, with the mail directed to the party to whom delivery first is made in the upper pocket of that row of pockets nearest the mail-carrier,

'who is presumed to occupy a seat in the forward end of the vehicle. The mail-matter is assorted and mounted in the pockets of the pouches at the distributing-office either by the rural carrier or a person designated for that purpose, and the pouches are mounted in the vehicle as shown and described preliminary to starting on a delivery-trip. After starting on the delivery trip it is unnecessary for the carrier to assort or otherwise laborously inspect the mail-matter, inasmuch as he may extract the contents of successive pockets as he approaches successive points of delivery and deliver such contents at the places designated.

The pouches maybe mounted in layers, one against the other, in the vehicle, and as the outmost pouch is emptied it may be disconnected by removing one of the rings 35 from one of the hooks 31 and permitting the empty pouch to hang by one ring to the other hook and expose the pocket-face of the next succeeding pouch, or the various pouches as emptied may be entirely removed from the supporting means by unhooking the hanger or yoke thereof and then be deposited at some other point in the vehicle for transportation to the place of starting.

I claim as my invention 1. A pouch for rural letter-carriers, comprising a flexible base-strip, flexible pockets on said strip, loops on the corners of said basestrip, rings permanently mounted in said loops and a yoke or hanger fitted with books at right angles to its trend arranged to engage said rings and expand and support said basestrip at times.

2. A pouch for rural letter-carriers, comprising a flexible base-strip, pocket-strips stitched thereto and metallic label-holders mounted on the free margins of said pocketstrips and depressing said free margins outwardly relative to the base-strip.

3. A pouch for rural letter-carriers, comprising a flexible base-strip, flexible pockets on said base-strip, metallic label-holders fixed to the free margins of said flexible pockets and back strips fixed to the said free margins of the pockets and also fixed to the said metallic label-holders.

4. A pouch for rural letter-carriers, comprising a flexible base-strip, flexible pockets on said strip, loops on the corners of said basestrip,rings permanently mounted in said loops, a yoke or hanger formed with a loop at its central portion whereby it may be suspended and also formed with hooks on its ends and at right angles to the trend thereof, which hooks are adapted to engage said rings and expand and support said base-strip at times, the arms of the hanger on opposite sides of the central loop being straight and in longitudinal alinement with each other.

Signed by me at Audubon,Audubon county, Iowa, this 16th day of May, 1903.

JOSEPH P. WOODLAND.

Witnesses:

H. W. WILSON, ALEX MCGUIRE. 

